Role of Pubertal Timing and Perceived Parental Attachment in Internalizing Problem Behaviours Among Adolescents

Adolescents need supportive social institutions to help them deal effectively with the demands of pubertal changes accompanied by new social roles, reducing their susceptibility to problem behaviors. Considering this, it will be investigated how internalizing problem behaviors in teenagers is affected by the interaction between pubertal timing and perceived parental attachment. For this, cross-sectional data from 772 adolescents with ages ranging from 11 to 15 years old was used. Regression analyses showed early maturing adolescents with insecure perceived parental attachments had higher levels of depression and anxiety than their early, on-time, and late maturing counterparts with secure perceived parental attachments. This finding supports the contextual amplification model, as the detrimental consequences of early maturation are impacted by difficult parent-adolescent relationships.